Kruger Park Phabeni Gate is a convenient entrance to the game reserve if your first stop is going to be Skukuza or Pretoriuskop rest camps.
Paul Kruger Gate is actually the closest gate to Skukuza Rest Camp. It’s only 12km (7.5 miles) away, but if you’re travelling from Johannesburg direction, you’ll get into the park earlier if you go through Phabeni Gate. This means you can get into the real action by starting your Kruger National Park safari sooner!
Skukuza Rest Camp is 39km (24.2 miles) from Kruger National Park Phabeni Gate. Allow at least an hour to travel the distance. It mightn’t seem a long way away, but game spotting and driving slows things down a lot.
Pretoriuskop Rest Camp is a bit closer to Phabeni Gate. It’s 24km (15 miles) away and will take up to an hour to drive this distance. There’s one closer gate to Pretoriuskop. That’s Numbi Gate. It’s only 9km (5.5 miles) away.
Even though the speed limit on sealed roads is 50km (31 miles) per hour and 40km (25 miles) on gravel roads, the time it takes to drive somewhere all depends on how much and the type of wildlife you come across on the way.
Phabeni Gate is one of 11 toll gates into Kruger National Park. You will need to pay your entry fee when you get there.
Hazyview is the nearest town outside the park to Phabeni entrance gate. It’s 10km (6 miles) away. If you’re driving all the way from Johannesburg to Phabeni Gate, the trip will take about 5 or 6 hours.
Hazyview is a good place to stop off and get supplies before going into Kruger National Park. Things like petrol and groceries are cheaper in Hazyview than in the park.
When you get to Kruger Park Phabeni Gate you’ll see that it looks a bit like a desert space station. The rounded huts there certainly gave us this impression!